Taking too many pictures can spoil your travel memories. Be more selective with your photos by following these 5 tips.

Know when to separate yourself from your cellphone

BY PHILL FELTHAM

I find many times when I travel, I get carried away and take too many pictures. Two years ago, I took 1,500 images in London, England. Many images were stock , but others were because of the ‘WOW!’ moments I wanted to share with friends and family. However, no matter how hard I try, I cannot capture those ‘WOW’ moments on camera.

To this day, I frustrate myself searching through my old England images looking for something specific. Basically, what I’m saying is pick your moments when you snap a picture. Now, while it’s hard to heed my own advice with the, “shoot first and ask questions later,” mentality, thinking of your shots beforehand can give you better photo composition.

Shooting images every two seconds will eventually become a chore. And what happens when you have the “Myeh” attitude, you miss out on the photos that really count.
HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO TAKE PHOTOS

1
PICK YOUR SUBJECT
When you’re face to face with that, “I must capture this moment on camera,” think to yourself if it’s something that you’ll want to shoot later. If you can’t come up with an answer, it’s best to shoot it, in case you regret not taking it later. 2
SHOOT THE SPECIAL MOMENTSA picture is worth a thousand words. When I saw Big Ben in London for the first time, it was a, “picture postcard come to life.” When I took the image, it looked like a postcard afterward. My family and friends might not have had that ‘WOW’ moment, but they definitely got something out of seeing some–definitely not all–my photos.

3
TELL A STORY Your trip can be over in a flash–excuse the pun–so take pictures of the locals living life: playing football, having dinner, or selling goods. Avoid taking too many selfies. Don’t forget to ask the locals for permission first.

4
GET CLOSE
Many images I shot in England weren’t the best, because I was standing too far away. Use the zoom on your camera, or better yet, move up close to shoot the image to eliminate any distracting background. Sometimes you are not able to get close. If that’s the case, then try to zoom in as much as you can without distorting your picture.

5
DUSK AND DAWN In my opinion, dusk and dawn are the best times of day to take images. The lighting blankets your subject from the front and side, which will give you better images with natural light. Keep in mind that your image won’t come out clearly if there is too much light in the background. Move your subject–or you move–so that the lighting doesn’t dominate the background. iT!